Star Minds Next Generation

by Barbara G. Tarn

  Star Minds Next Generation

  by Barbara G. Tarn

  ***

  Barbara G.Tarn copyright © 2015

  Cover art by Maurizio Manzieri

  electronic edition by Unicorn Productions

  January 2015

  ***

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Star Minds Next Generation | by Barbara G.Tarn

  AUTHOR'S NOTES

  About the Author

  Further Reading: Adventurer (Star Minds Lone Wolves)

  Also By Barbara G.Tarn

  Star Minds Next Generation

  by Barbara G.Tarn

  1. A BIRTHDAY

  Shan-leo woke to the sounds of the many birds that graced Mansion Shermac's park and garden. He stretched his left arm, covering his yawn with his bionic right hand.

  Today I'm twenty-two. He stared at his prosthetic. The transparent silicone with its MEMS bone looked exactly the same as the day he'd peeled off the synthetic skin. It's been almost five years since I got you. He opened and closed the artificial hand. And you're a blessing.

  A blessing that never tired, so he could write longhand as much as he wanted, and his handwriting was always very neat and clear. He had begun to enjoy calligraphy when he'd seen his Earthling friends teach their children how to write, and now he was hooked. Foreign alphabets were funnier, but even writing like his ancestors in the old cursive Sire alphabet felt like going back in time, when technology was less invasive in the galaxy.

  Instead of dictating or using keyboards, he went hunting for old-fashioned paper notebooks, fountain pens and bottles of ink, and his prosthetic allowed him more precision than a flesh-and-blood hand. He also downloaded samples of scripts from the meganet to practice and had filled two notebooks at the Sire Library, in the public wing of the former Imperial palace. He'd tried to write on tablets, but it wasn't the same feeling as holding a pen to paper.

  I hope they don't suggest I cover you with synthetic skin this year, he told his bionic arm, frowning at the memory of his well-meaning father who looked worried he'd never find a steady girlfriend if he showed off his maimed limb like that. Not that he ever had problems in taking women to his bed. But he hadn't found the one he could spend his life with yet.

  Shan-leo sighed. He had finished his studies and was supposed to do something with his life – either join the high society he was born into or find something else. He was considering joining the Sire Library staff, but at the same time he felt the need to explore the Star Nations and study their history. Thus he'd taken a short break in the quiet of the family home – the country estate away from the bustle of the capital and life at the palace – to figure out what he really wanted. He could go hunting for old manuscripts or visit planets where they still had the actual things – illuminated manuscripts from centuries ago – before settling for the librarian job.

  He didn't have many friends on the planet, so he might do some traveling around and learn more about the Star Nations – especially if eventually he'd have to join the Council of Five and help run his home planet. Seeing how things were done on other worlds might help him to be a better ruler, albeit not an emperor like his grandfather had been. He had a half idea of what to do next, but he knew it wouldn't sit well with his father, although Uncle Kol-ian would probably support him.

  Which reminded him his father and uncle were already at Mansion Shermac. They'd arrived the night before, ahead of the guests that were supposed to show up today. In spite of the fact that Uncle Kol-ian was now a member of the Council of Five that governed Marc'harid and the Sire, he'd left the palace as soon as he could to come to Mansion Shermac for a break.

  Shan-leo got out of bed, showered and dressed, grabbing his bandanna. He went downstairs and found his father and uncle in the living room, seated at the breakfast table side by side as usual.

  Uncle Kol-ian saw him first and greeted him. "Good morning, birthday boy!"

  "Good morning," he answered as his father rose to give him a bear hug.

  "Already twenty-two... where did time go?" he whispered in Shan-leo's ear.

  "You mean the past twelve years went even faster than the previous ten?" Shan-leo teased, giving the bandanna to uncle Kol-ian who wrapped it around his nephew's arm with a smile. Shan-leo knew his father disapproved of his showing off the bionic arm – especially when he had on a tank top like today – but Uncle Kol-ian was very supportive, having had prosthetics himself.

  "Shan-leo..." his father chided.

  Shan-leo smiled at him. It wasn't his fault if he'd been mind-controlled for all the time he'd been married to Shan-leo's late mother and had missed most of his son's childhood.

  "I love you anyway, Father." He sat with them to eat breakfast. "Even if you want to hide my beautiful prosthetic! Why don't you ever suggest Uncle Kol-ian cover the scars on his back with synthetic skin?"

  "Your uncle doesn't go around bare-chested to show off his scars!" his father protested while Kol-ian guffawed.

  "It's because you want the exclusive on the treasure map, Ker-ris. When I had my wings, I was often bare-chested – ask Chantal if you don't believe me," Kol-ian said.

  Ker-ris glared at him.

  "You're not a good example for Shan-leo!"

  "If I hadn't followed him, Father, you'd still be brainwashed by Mother," Shan-leo reminded him. "Besides, I also have his blood, haven't I?"

  "So? Will you run off looking for love away from Marc'harid like he did at your age?" Ker-ris asked, frowning.

  "Actually, I was younger," Kol-ian said cheerfully. "I had my wings implanted at nineteen and ran away at twenty."

  Shan-leo chuckled. "And you managed to stay away from here for a whole seven years! I think I should travel too before I get stuck on Marc'harid with the next Council of Five!"

  "That's many years away," Ker-ris replied. "Besides, you're a Shermac. I was twenty-two when you were born."

  "Yes, you fell in love at twenty, married at twenty-one, and look where it took you!" Shan-leo retorted. "Eleven years of mind control, barely able to recognize your own son!"

  "There's no more mind control on Marc'harid, we got rid of that!" Ker-ris protested. "Which doesn't mean we will get rid of all the traditions! Some things we Sire do are good..."

  "Like mind linking." Shan-leo nodded at both with a smile. "And since I couldn't find anyone on this planet, I will have to look somewhere else."

  "Avoid Caroids," Kol-ian suggested with a chuckle. "And if you find a natural telepath on some other planet, you might dodge some Sire haughtiness."

  "Kol-ian, don't encourage him!"

  "You can't keep him here if he doesn't want to, Ker-ris! You might as well help him – not that you have any experience in space travel..."

  "Of course, I'm the head of the House of Shermac, not a wicked Vaurabi rebel!" Ker-ris snorted.

  Shan-leo smiled. He knew how much they loved each other and their mind link had gotten stronger through the years. Their example had set high standards for him – he wanted a mind link like his father had – but he hadn't found anyone on Marc'harid.

  "I've been thinking I could take the Falstelo out for a ride," he said. "It's been sitting in its hangar for years now..."

  "It's not going anywhere," Ker-ris warned. "That starship is old. It won't take you far and it might break in outer space, leaving you stranded!"

  "I can have Dadina and Markandeya work on it," Shan-leo insisted. "We can upgrade it and..."

  "No," Ker-ris said, determined.

  Shan-leo wanted to continue arguing, but saw Kol-ian wink. His uncle would help, so he gave up.

  "Fine," he said. "So what did you get me, if it's not synthetic skin for my arm or
an arranged marriage?"

  "Dadina will bring your gift," his father answered a little sharply. He probably hated playing the bad guy, but he felt like a single parent since his better half was male. Officially Kol-ian had no say in Shan-leo's education, but Shan-leo knew better. Kol-ian and Ker-ris were two bodies with one mind – that was what the mind link was about. They fiercely loved each other and fiercely loved him. His bond was stronger with his father, but he knew his best ally was Uncle Kol-ian.

  He grinned at both and saw his father relax.

  "Jan-wen wants to know when you'll be back at the capital," Ker-ris said. "Apparently another rare manuscript has vanished from Alahairo. He's worried the thieves might get to Marc'harid soon."

  Jan-wen was the chief librarian at the Sire Library. He'd grown very fond of Shan-leo since they shared a passion for dusty pieces of paper. He was the one who had introduced Shan-leo to that old world pre-technology, kindling his interest in history and old scripts.

  Shan-leo pictured the librarian – his narrow amber-colored eyes, his white hair and his short, lean build – and smiled. Much like Shan-leo, Jan-wen had prosthetics, given to him by the Emperor himself before Shan-leo was born. Jan-wen had lost his legs serving the Galactic Empire and had been rewarded with bionic lower limbs that could stretch at will, allowing him to reach the highest shelves without using ladders.

  "I'm sure Maela can prevent any intrusion in Jan-wen's kingdom," Shan-leo said. "I've been away for only a week! What can I do that he doesn't do himself?"

  "I think Jan-wen considers you the son he never had." Kol-ian chuckled. "I'm sure he hopes you will be his successor as Chief Librarian – he's been training you for years, now."

  "Doesn't Jan-wen have granddaughters of Shan-leo's age?" Ker-ris asked.

  "Da-ad!" Shan-leo snorted. "As a matter of fact, yes, two. I dated them. They're nothing like him. So no, I'm not interested in seeing them again."

  Ker-ris sighed noisily. "When will I be able to walk you to the altar?" he complained.

  "Come on, Ker-ris, give him a break! He's only twenty-two!"

  "Just because you never married doesn't mean everybody should follow your example!"

  "I believe there are more important things than my marriage," Shan-leo interrupted them. "I'll be back in town soon and will visit Jan-wen before I decide what to do next." Since his plans weren't final yet – the lack of a starship bothered him – he quickly changed the subject. "How are the Five doing?" he asked, since the night before the elders had arrived late and hadn't talked much.

  "Fine, especially since we raised the age of the members," Kol-ian answered. "Well, the previous Five did, since the youngest members felt uncomfortable at first. I think Ker-ris had to help his cousin Judy-lee to speak at the first meetings!"

  "Well, you wouldn't have been able to take your cousin's seat if they hadn't changed that," Shan-leo said. "You're thirty-nine, you would have been too old for the original Five."

  "And I really hoped I had escaped that!" Kol-ian replied with a chuckle. "I renounced my birthright, and here I am sitting in the Vaurabi seat!"

  "You're with my youngest sister and Cass-lun Desinow," Ker-ris said, thoughtful. "Thank God the rule that one cannot be renamed wasn't abolished. Or you'd have Bess-lin Meraini sitting next to you."

  "She's changed." Kol-ian shrugged. "Maternity suits her, I guess."

  "How do you know? Have you met her?" Ker-ris glared at him.

  "Actually, yes. I ran into her at the mall. She was with little Kay-low. Now that's an angry boy, more than I ever was."

  "So she's not such a good mother after all." Ker-ris scoffed and shook his head. "Being a single parent is hard. We should have taken him from her."

  "Oh, of course, our extended family is so much better than poor, lonesome Bess-lin!" Kol-ian teased.

  Shan-leo finished his breakfast thinking about the cousin he'd never met because Uncle Kol-ian had been forced to impregnate his former betrothed after mind linking with his father – which had almost killed both. Kol-ian had never wanted to meet his son, but suddenly Shan-leo was curious to meet the "angry boy". He'd never been angry, not even when his icy mother was alive and controlled his father...

  ***

  "I've been thinking. Why did you call this starship Haiduc? Isn't it the Sylvanian word for outlaw?"

  The childish voice came out of a little white android robot that pointed its big round eyes at its maker, a blonde nineteen-year-old Humanoid who sat at the dashboard of the aforementioned starship as it slowly left the underground hangar in the Vaurabi Labs to head for the countryside.

  "Yes, Chibi, that's exactly what it means, but the receiver and true owner will probably change it, so don't get too fond of it," she answered.

  "But I thought it was Shan-leo's gift for his birthday," the little robot insisted.

  "Yeah, so?"

  "Shan-leo would never change something you named!"

  "Then we won't tell him the ship's name and he can come up with his own."

  "So why did you name it, Dadina?"

  She looked at her creature and burst out laughing.

  "Boy, you're stubborn! I reprogrammed you with Shan-leo's voice and intelligence at the age when I met him, but you're definitely evolving on your own!"

  "Might be because you provided me with a great AI and learning skills. Although unlike him, I will stay a child forever."

  Dadina sighed. "Drat, I can't believe he's twenty-two already! Feels like yesterday he showed up on the Falstelo with his brainwashed father to announce Roa's death!"

  "Why didn't you make me like Roa?" Chibi asked.

  "Because Roa was a panther, she couldn't speak. And Shan-leo was ten and as lonely as I was, so we adopted each other."

  "I remember when he lost his arm."

  "No, you don't. I completely reprogrammed you after the accident. You know he lost his arm, but you don't remember anything of that time because I rebooted you."

  "To hide the fact that you did the naughty stuff with him for a year?"

  "Chibi... enough! Or I'll delete your memories again and reprogram you as an adult in that child-sized body!"

  Dadina rolled her eyes as Mansion Shermac appeared in the distance. "Almost there," she said through the intercom to warn the guests invited to Shan-leo's birthday party.

  The Haiduc was a brand new cruise ship for personal use. She had supervised most of it – at least the AI and mainframe that made it semiautomatic. Compared to the obsolete Falstelo, it was faster and more reliable, and also slightly smaller. The Falstelo had been a family cruise ship, the Haiduc was for a single person and a few friends. There were only two double-berth cabins and two single, all with private bathrooms, and only one lounge beyond the deck. A teleport room was included next to the engine room. Dadina was sure it would be enough for Shan-leo's needs.

  Chibi was quiet as she landed in front of the mansion. The ship's small size allowed her to do it without going to the nearby private spaceport, and on her screen she saw Shan-leo rush out of the house with wide eyes and open mouth to stare at the silver saucer gently suspended over the grass and paths of the front yard. She opened the starship's door and waited until all the passengers exited before putting the ship on stand-by.

  "Let's go, Chibi."

  The little robot followed her outside to where Shan-leo was extricating himself from the little crowd of guests. He ran over and touched the starship with both hands.

  "Dadina! What is this?"

  "Birthday present." She grinned, taking him in once more with an inner sigh.

  Short brown hair that tended to curl, sky-blue eyes, wide shoulders, narrow hips and that artificial arm that was so much a part of him now she almost didn't notice it anymore... That was Shan-leo, her foster brother, her first love.

  "Happy birthday, Shan-leo," Chibi sang.

  Shan-leo winced. "Ugh. I sure hope you reprogrammed him," he told Dadina.

  She giggled. "No, he still has your ten-year-old voice
!"

  "As if I'd ever say happy birthday to myself!" Shan-leo rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Chibi." He patted the robot's head with his artificial hand, making it blink and purr in pleasure.

  "The gift is from all of us," Ker-ris said, joining them with Kol-ian. "And that's why you don't need the Falstelo. You have your own ship now."

  Shan-leo brightened and hugged his father.

  "Dadina helped build it," Chibi said. "And she called it Haiduc."

  "Chibi!" Dadina scolded.

  "That robot sounds just like my son," Ker-ris grinned, ruffling Shan-leo's hair.

  "Of course, she programmed it to sound like me!" Shan-leo snorted. "What did you call it?" he asked Dadina pointing at the starship.

  "Haiduc, but you can change it. You can call it Falstelo 2 or New Shermac Pride or..."

  "Not Falstelo, Shan-leo is not a shooting star," Kol-ian said with a chuckle.

  "I like Haiduc, it sounds nice," Shan-leo said, thoughtful.

  "It means 'outlaw' in Sylvanian," Chibi informed him. "Are you an outlaw?"

  "Oh! Uh... no, I'm not. Yet." Shan-leo winked at Dadina.

  "You better stay out of trouble, or you'll be stranded on Marc'harid for the rest of your life," Ker-ris warned.

  Shan-leo looked at his father and Dadina huffed impatiently, glancing at the cluster of guests waiting for Shan-leo to properly greet them.

  "Where's the party?" she asked. "I won't let you onboard until we've properly celebrated your birthday!"

  The other guests cheered at that, and they all went into Mansion Shermac to start the fun.

  ***

  Shan-leo gave one last glance at the shining starship parked in his front yard, and closed the door of Mansion Shermac, feeling elated. He had a starship! He could be an adventurer like his uncle had been! He could explore and do research and go see for himself those illuminated manuscripts and ancient codices he'd been studying!

  Then he turned around to meet and greet all the guests Dadina had brought. First he hugged her and kissed her cheek. After about a year of sexual explorations that had started when he'd lost his arm, they'd calmed down and now were the best of friends, again brother and sister. Neither had found a significant other yet, and they took care of each other.